


Domestic Bliss

by TwiceAsFrustrating



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Domestic Bliss, F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-14
Updated: 2015-12-15
Packaged: 2018-04-26 09:09:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 6,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4998997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwiceAsFrustrating/pseuds/TwiceAsFrustrating
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AKA: Rose and Kanaya do very cute and adorable things while they live together. A tale of their everyday lives and the little quirks of being romantically intimate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. How to Settle a Dispute that was Never Really a Dispute

“Rose.”

You lower the book in your hands to give your full attention to the voice calling for you. It belongs to a tall, grey-skinned woman. Her horns are slightly askew with her head tilted that way. She is staring at what appears to be a calendar and has her finger pressed against her lip in thought, “When was the last time one of us cleaned the ablution chamber?”

You stop to puzzle this for yourself. You can’t recall the last time one of you did more than sweep up the random debris gathering. You close the book and set it down at your side, “Too long if neither of us can remember.”

She straightens her posture and lowers the calendar to her hip, where her hand decides to rest, “Whose turn is it to clean this time?”

You shrug. You can’t remember that either.

She sighs, “Oh my. One of us has to do it.” She is not volunteering. You heard her sewing earlier and know that she wants to finish whatever she was working on before she thought about this task. You’re not jumping at the chance either. You want to finish your book, as it is reaching its climax.

You both stare at one another, neither giving into the other. You can tell where this is going, “Beautiful.” You start the game off this time.

She stares you down, “Exquisite.” 

The challenge has officially been accepted. Now you will both rattle off synonyms for the starting word until one of you has drawn a blank. They will be the loser and will be the one subjected to this performance of domesticity. 

“Bewitching.” You follow up.

Right on your heels she replies with, “Sublime.”

“Resplendent.”

“Pulchritudinous.”

You raise an eyebrow at that one. You didn’t expect her to pull out the more refined words until later. She must really not want to be pulled away from her work, “Kanaya.”

“Yes?” She questions as you speak her name.

You shake your head and snicker, “No. My word is Kanaya.”

You get the response you were expecting as her face goes completely and totally green. She is at a loss for words as she tries to think of something to respond with. Of course, she can’t go back to using more synonyms; that would dismiss the compliment you just paid. If she said your name in response it would just be mimicry. She only has those two options, however.

Or, she could take the third, “I’m going to go clean the ablution chamber now.” She turns on her heels and heads toward the bathroom, her face still deep green.

You cannot believe how often that trick works. At some point, it has to stop being effective. Right?


	2. When Expecting Company

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John is coming over to visit and Rose is keeping secrets from Kanaya.

Everything is set. The dwelling has been cleaned from top to bottom twice over. You made sure all surfaces were polished until they glowed nearly as bright as you. There is only one thing left to do.

"Where is it?" You place your hands on your hips and stare down at your lover. She has decided to sit quietly on the couch, with her hands folded in her lap. That is suspicious behavior if you've ever seen it.

She looks up at you with her most innocuous smile. Suspicious indeed, "Where is what?"

"You know what I mean. Mr. Egbert is the one coming over, so I know you hid it somewhere. The question is where."

She shrugs her shoulders slightly and appears mostly unphased, "I have no clue what you think I hid."

You give her the most exhaustedly frustrated stare you can muster, "Whatever prank you have hidden, I desperately hope it does not backfire on you." 

She stands from the couch and walks towards you. She stands about a head shorter than you, which apparently still makes her tall by human female standards. She stops and looks up at you still smiling, "I'm going to make some tea. Would you like any?"

She changes the subject on you. You do not give her the satisfaction of an answer. Not until she she does the same.

She reaches up, placing her hand on your cheek and pulls you down to plant a quick kiss on the side on your face, "I'll make you a cup."  
You both sit in awkward silence until there is a knocking at the door. Rose is the first to get up to answer it, but you tell her to sit down and finish her tea. You aren’t done either, but you have a few things to say to John before he enters. Namely what you believe Rose is up to.

He appears to take your warning to heart, as he spends the next few hours approaching everything in the house with caution. Even the thing and places he has check once already. Anything Rose hands him is taken hesitantly and he is watching her every move to make sure she isn’t doing anything while he’s distracted. By the time he leaves, no pranks have gone off between either of them. That is a first.

You are standing in the kitchen, helping her make dinner by the time you finally say something to her about the entire thing, “You really didn't setup any pranks, did you?”

She does not stop cutting up the moobeast meat while she answers you, “Oh, I did. And John fell right into it.”

You are taken aback. You didn’t see anything the entire time, “What? When did this occur? Where was I?”

You see a small smile cross her face as she finishes with the meat, “The moment he got here. I’m sorry, Kanaya, but you are my best prank.”

You gasp at her, “Me? What did I do?”

“You were suspicious of me the whole time. I figure you told John as such the moment he walk through that door, which is why he was so nervous the whole of his visit. The prank was simple reverse psychology. Make him think I have done something when I have not. It was effective, don’t you agree?” She continues prepping the meal, not missing a single step despite being absorbed in exposition.

You reach over to turn the pot simmering vegetation roots down, “Why did you not tell me about this?”

She comes up from behind you and drops the meat into the pot, “Because, you would have tried too hard to make him believe I had done something and it would not have come off as natural. This was the only way to guarantee he didn’t try anything. I would hate to see the house get messy because of him after you just cleaned it.” She reaches past you to stir the contents of the pot, “Plus, it was fun to watch him behave so nervously. I believe the prankster’s gambit goes to us on this one.”

You sigh, slightly frustrated that you were not told ahead of time, but understanding why. You can tell she senses your irritation as she stands on her toes to reach you and kiss you gently, “You go sit down. I’ll finish making dinner.”

You do as she says, heading into the food consumption room. You head to the table and nearly sit down before you notice the padding on one of the wooden chairs has been raised slightly. You lift it up to find one of Egbert’s flatulence balloons. It seems he did decide to leave a prank behind for you two.

You pick it up and walk it over to the garbage where it is promptly disposed of. The prankster’s gambit still belongs to both you and Rose for tonight.


	3. Tradition is Important

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose and Kanaya are having a fight.

Relationships are not all perfect. You know that. Still, that does not make it any less difficult when those rare arguments do arise. In fact, it makes the tension between the two of you all the more damaging, because that means the fight is serious. Neither of you will let it go for a few days at least. That is how these things usually go, and you are prepared to bare the brunt of that wait. She’ll realize she was wrong eventually.

The first day passes and the tension is rising. Kanaya does not bother to look at you or speak to you. She resides herself to the area you both turned into her personal sewing room and rarely comes out. You see her occasionally leaving though, often to use the bathroom or sneak into the kitchen. You pretend not to notice her, or else you know she won’t come out and do her business. 

The second day passes and you can feel her eyes boring into the back of your head. This is usually the point where she begins trying to signal her little hostilities towards you. You do not look at her, but merely pull at the collar of your top. You can sense her agitation as she loudly retreats back to her sewing room.

The third day passes and the tension is beginning to subside. You can tell her internal conflict between anger and affection is starting to get to her as you catch her looking at you out the corner of your eye. She doesn’t seem to mind if you see her anymore. Now, she just passes through, trying to stay inconspicuous but not minding if you look at her.

The fourth days passes and you feel like she is about to apologize. She is getting closer to you. She is sitting next to you, though remaining silent. She is actively trying to get your attention, even though she isn’t speaking directly to you.

The fifth day passes and the tension is at its peak. She has rebounded from her calm of consideration and is more aggravated than before.

On the sixth day she caves in. She can't take the quiet and separation any longer. She walks up to you while you are making the bed you haven’t shared in days and stares you down.

“Why?” It’s the first thing she’s said to you since you began fighting.

“You know why, Kanaya.” You respond. You have stopped making the bed. You have to give her your full attention for this, or you know the argument will continue for at least another two days. Honestly, you are sick of the quiet as much as she is.

“But it’s so… ugly.” She pulls at the sleeve of your top with disgust. You know she doesn't even want to touch it.

“But it’s tradition.”

“Some traditions need to end.” She crosses her arms and you can tell she is pouting, even if she isn't showing it.

This is the fight that happens every year. In the winter, you and your friends will dawn your ugliest Christmas sweaters and wear them for the first week of December. It drives Kanaya mad to see you wearing them, especially because she knows you can't be convinced not to wear them.

You calm her by grabbing her hand and kisses her palm, “You could end this one by accepting it and joining us.”

Her face is aghast when you suggest it You know she hates the thought of it. She will never join this particular tradition and you will never stop participating. It will always result in a fight. You both seem to know this and have both just have equally decided that it is tradition. You can both respect each other as much as you want, but that does not mean you don’t have habits that get on the other’s nerves. This is just one of those things neither of you will budge on. You’ll make it up to her soon though. Next week, you will be wearing the sweaters you know she made during your argument. Ones she finds more appealing. It happens every year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes. Couples often fight over really little and stupid things and take it too far. I could write Rose and Kanaya forever and be happy.


	4. Bedtime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sleepy time for all good girls and boys and trolls. Kanaya needs to go to bed on time, but sometimes she catches nice things wen she stays up late.

She stands in the doorway, looking down at you and shaking her head. You feel her look of both concern and irritation. She is silent, so you don’t have to acknowledge her presence until she clears her throat to get your attention.

“Are you coming to bed sometime in the next century?” She leans against the doorframe, letting her nightgown rise and fall with her chest as she breaths. You are so glad you made that for her. It suits her well.

You shake your head. Rose continues to give you that look that says she is disappointed. A heavy sigh escapes her lips, “How long until this century ends then?”

You look at the stitching you have completed and the ends that still need to be done. You measure the amount of time it will take you to finish this, “I believe it will be sometime later tonight.” It isn’t that much to do

She still does not look pleased, but she accepts the answer, “I’m going to bed. Don’t stay up too late. We don’t need you to pick up the normal sleeping pattern of your troll brethren.”

You snicker under your breath, “Oh yes. How tragic.”

That seems to have reassured her somewhat, as she leaves the door frame and lets you continue your work.

You finish much later in the night. Most of your fellow trolls will be just getting up, and the humans will have been asleep for a few hours. You started following the human schedule a while ago, mostly because you were already accustomed to being awake in the day on Alternia but also because it allowed you to be awake at the same time as Rose. It usually works for you, but like all creatures you must sometimes break the trend for reasons out of your control. But that business is done and you would much rather head to bed.

You stretch your limbs as you stand up. You can feel small sections of your body popping from having sat too long, a sign that it is in your better judgement to get to bed straight away.

You head to the room that you and Rose share, opening the door slowly as to not wake her up. To your surprise she is asleep, but the light is still on and there is a book lying open across her stomach. You have to suppress a laugh. She tried to stay up for you and failed. It is eerily precious. 

You change into your nightwear as silently as you can manage and take the book from her, marking the page she was one and placing it on her nightstand. You turn off the light and take your place next to her in bed. As you feel the mattress shift under your weight, she moves slightly. You almost think she has awaken, but her eyes remain closed and her breathing is steady.

You crawl under the covers and lean over to kiss her forehead. She shifts again, this time closer to you, burying her head near the crook of your neck. Her breath is calm as the air of her exhales brushes against your ear. You smirk and wrap your arms around her. She burys herself deeper into you and you close your eyes. You drift off that night to the sound of her breathing.


	5. Double Dates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose can get jealous too. Even if she understands, she can find it unfair that her girlfriend needs more than one romantic partner (even if it is just pale).

The look on his face is priceless. You are drawing an elaborate sketch of it in your head so you may enjoy it later. You may even sketch it out so you can enjoy it longer. He does not look pleased, on the other hand. Or, he is and is trying desperately to hide it. You can tell it’s the latter, but you don’t let on that you know.

It’s not unusual that Karkat is invited to one of your and Kanaya’s date nights, since they are currently filling their own quadrant. He spends the entire time in her lap, since the pile is not in a good spot to see the screen. She spends the entire time holding his hand to keep him calm. He can get very riled up, even at fictional romances. You often lean your head against her, since she would poke you with her horns if it were done the other way. 

She gets just as into the story as he does. It’s adorable to see her enjoy the films so much. Still, she only does that when he’s around. When it’s just the two of you, she watches films with a distinct lack of involvement in the story. Not disinterest, just not involved like she is in this moment. It’s why you don’t mind having Karkat over on date nights. You like seeing her this way.

It doesn’t stop the twinge of envy inside of you though. The fact that she needs someone else is still hard, even after all these years. You understand her culture and that it is normal, healthy even, but you are only human; which is why you will not say anything. You trust her and know it is nothing more than a very deep friendship. Nearly soulmates, in the purely platonic sense.

Seeing it can be hard though. You have dates where it’s just the two of you, of course. They have them two. Sometimes you wonder what it’s like when it’s just the two of them. How much more lively is she? Does she spend the entire time looking so cute? You are left wondering.

You will never ask, as that seems insensitive to her. Instead, you will enjoy these moments when you can get them. Even if it means that some date nights will not be just you two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no. I have revealed one of my other quadrants for Kanaya. But, yes. I ship Kanaya and Karkat in pale. I can't help it. Maryam and Vantas is just too perfect in any version.
> 
> Sorry this one is shorter. I felt I should give it time to get the emotions across, then stop before it rambled for too long. Also, I'm sorry that it's not as fluffy as it should be. I like my fluff, but no relationship is perfect. I imagine there would be moments where things like this get to both of them. This may be the first chapter that will be addressed later on, too. Hmm... Must go plot.


	6. Muse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose is trying to draw a timid Kanaya.

You sit, draped in the longest towel you could find in the abolition chamber’s closet. It’s an entirely pathetic excuse for modesty. In just barely reaches your thighs and you feel more exposed than you care to be. The look on your face must match your inner thoughts.

“You don’t have to do this, you know.” Rose tells you from behind her sketch pad.

You balk at her statement. You have been sitting here for near half an hour already. Now seems like a silly time to tell you that you could leave whenever you wanted. Not that you have any intention to abscond, “If I did not wish to participate in this, I would not have volunteered in the first place.”

You can sense the small smile hidden from your view, “I see. I’m glad to know this isn’t a new form of cruel and unusual punishment I’ve discovered.”

You both continue in silence for about ten more minutes, the only sound being that of graphite against paper as Rose’s eyes dart up to look at you every now and again.

At the end of it, she set down her pencil and sighs, “Perhaps we should stop.”

“Why?” The question leaves your mouth before you have time to process why you would ask it.

“You look like you don’t want to be doing this. I don’t want to make you feel like you have to.”

You shake your head, “No. I do want to help you with this. It’s just that this is rather embarrassing.”

She raises an eyebrow and stares at you, “We share a bed. I have seen you naked. How is this any more embarrassing than that?”

You can feel the green rushing to your face as you stumble trying to explain, “You’re looking rather intently at me.” It’s a rather vulnerable position. 

She does not say anything. She does not make a move for some time. When she finally does, it is to set her sketch pad down. She stands and makes her way over to you, moving as though she is approaching a frightened hopbeast.

When she is within reach of you, she reaches out and places her hands on either side of your face. She closes her eyes, leans in, and lets her lips meet your own. You close your eyes and return the gesture as she holds the kiss.

When she finally pulls away, you open your eyes again. She doesn't say anything. She places another kiss on your cheek, just next to where her hand sits. She kisses the other cheek in the same spot then goes back to your mouth.

When she finishes, you stare at her in confusion. Her eyes burn brightly into your own, “Better?”

You hadn’t realized it until now, but your previous nervousness had died down at some point during the exchange. You nod.

“Good. Now, shall I go back to drawing my lovely girlfriend, or do you want to continue this?”

You give it some thought before answering, “Can’t we do both.” It is not a question.

She catches your meaning and smirks, “That depends on which one you want to do first.” She kisses you once more, waiting for your next answer. Though, you have a feeling she already knows what you will say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kisses make everything better. EVERY. TIME. This ship will consume my life. Someday, I shall become the living embodiment of Rosemary fluff.


	7. We Are Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family is important. How you define family and what you do with them is just as important.

“Can you teach me about this Freud fellow?” Kanaya asks as she stares at a picture of you, Dave, Roxy, and Dirk on your ironic family vacation, which was only ironic to the Striders. For you and Roxy, it was casual family bonding. You know both of the boys saw it that way too, but they hid behind their mask of irony. You decided to let them keep up the facade. It was also a test of will to tolerate each other for more than 72 hours in a small, ironically overfilled car.

That is a strange question to ask while looking at that particular photograph. You stand at her side and look at it with her, “Of course, but why do you ask?”

Her eyes move to look at you, “You are always relating Dave’s behavior to this mister Freud. I am just curious as to why.”

You turn your head to her and tilt it with a smirk, “Mostly to annoy him at this point, but it did start out of a serious analysis of his habits and mannerisms.”

“That is another thing. Do siblings often try to annoy each other?” Of course she wouldn’t know. You are perfectly aware that trolls do not have the same concept of family, since that would make all of them related in some form or another.

You shake your head, “Only the particularly close ones.”

“So, you would say you two are close?”

“As close as ectosiblings can be.” Which was as close as any normal pair of siblings that was separated at birth by meteors heading to different locations in the world, relocated each other later, became friends, then found out they were siblings could be.

She goes silent for a moment and stares at the picture longer, “You make a lovely family.”

You are taken aback at her statement. It seems to have come out of nowhere. It also sounds sad. You step closer to her, wrap your arms around her waist, and lean your head against her shoulder, “Well, they are your family too, now. Next time, you should come with us.”

She wraps her arm around you in return, “That sounds divine, but I was considering something else.”

“And what would that be?”

You feel her gently squeeze at your hip and pull you closer, “Oh, nothing. I would love to spend time with you and your family, but I think we should invite them over instead. Your strange tradition of road trips seems like one I should not intrude upon.”

You let out a small laugh, “Good call. I believe you would be driven mad if you had to deal with them for so long.” You turn your head to look at her, “Enough about that insanity. Would you still like to know about the great Freud?”

She returns your gaze and smirks, “Make sure you spend extra time explaining the parts that bother Dave.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GAH! Midterms getting in the way of everything. I guess I am going to be gone for a week or so dealing with them. Sorry, you will have to wait a while for the fluff. Take this short chapter while I try to pass my classes.


	8. Do What You Love, And It Will Never Be Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The loving couple goes out for the evening.

She looks divine. Every inch of her is beautiful and perfect and you adore her. You are also aware of how much your mind is reeling and turning into nonsensical fantasy from seeing her in her ensemble for the evening. Her strapless lavender dress curves right against her body and drapes to the floor. The matching shawl covers her shoulders. Her hair is is tied up into a tight bun, decorated with a gem encrusted band. She is glistening.

She notices you staring and looks up at you with a spark in her eyes, “Do you see something you like?”

You immediately dart your eyes away and feel the blood rushing to your face, “I did not mean to stare.”

“Were you staring at me? I just assumed you were seeing how your handiwork turned out.” That is facetiousness if you have ever heard it. She knows exactly where you were looking.

“You do look spectacular.” You compliment all of her with that statement. She will be the most amazing one in the room tonight.

“I do not doubt it, considering this is one of the many things you have made, and you never do less than excellent.” She strolls up to you, walking with grace despite the fact that the dress hugs her legs and keeps them together more than she is used to. She stops in front of you and looks up into your eyes, then down at your own outfit, “You look just as radiant.”

Your attire is her opposite. You are dressed in a short dress, no longer than your upper knees, that frills out around you as a ballgown should. You have sleeves that hang just off your shoulders and go down to just above your wrists. Around your waist sits a small chain of silver, acting as a belt and an accent.

It was her idea to be each other’s compliments.

She reaches for your hands and takes them in her own. Her fingers run over the backs of your knuckles, “You went all out on this, didn’t you?”

You bend down to place a kiss against her forehead, “It is an important day. I thought it would be prudent to look the part.”

“I believe you have succeeded in that respect.” She leads you by the hand toward the door, “Now, we just need to get there.”

“How do you think they’ll take the news?” You ask as you follow after her.

“Which of the theys do you mean?”

“The excitable theys.”

She opens the door and stops before stepping outside, “Obviously with excitement. The whole of us only get together once every few weeks, I’m sure many of them will revel at the announcement.”

You nod as she pulls you outside. You are not surprised to see Jade standing, waiting for you two. You need to get to the restaurant on time and she would be the fastest method, especially if you don’t want to get dirty on the walk over.

She greets you with enthusiasm and gushes at your and Rose’s attire. She always was one of the fashionable ones. You promise to have her in for a fitting and get her a dress that suits her. After all, you finally managed to get your own shop and will officially open your own business within the week. By the end of tonight, they will all know that. Of course, you won’t charge your friends. Their requests will be special.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who just finished one of her midterms and wanted to celebrate? And, yes, Kanaya makes literally all of Rose's clothing, unless Rose buys something in secret to surprise her.


	9. Chilled to the Bones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose comes back from grocery shopping and is in more pain than you can imagine. She also got caught in the rain.

You are sore all over and dripping wet. You can feel your legs pulsating and the blood rushing through them. The water in your hair is falling out in small droplets. You don’t want to move. You barely want to be touched. You especially don’t want to get up and strip so you can get in the shower. 

Kanaya was on the couch when you got home, waiting for you to return. You sat next to her so your limbs would stop screaming. You leaned against her, allowing your head to rest in the crook of her neck. 

She shrugs, signalling you to sit back up. You do. “Go take a shower.” She insists.

You instead fall in the opposite direction. Your body does not want to cooperate right now. You have the right to be too tired to function. You went and got the week’s groceries all by yourself, walking the entire way there and back. Even worse, it decided to rain while you were out and you forgot the bring the umbrella.

You know you should go change your clothes, but you don’t have the energy to move from where you fell. Kanaya’s face is beginning to fill with concern as she looks at you. She jostles your shoulder, which causes you to move your eyes toward her. That is all the movement she gets, however.

It takes her several tries to get you to comply, and when you do it is not without protest. You let her put away the groceries and you go to put on your nightwear, despite it being the middle of the day. You lie down to let your legs rest, but find yourself falling asleep in no time.

You awaken to Kanaya’s concerned voice. You turn your head towards her, but she is fuzzy. You feel terrible and you are covered in a thin layer of sweat that has seeped into your clothing. 

Her hand finds its place against your forehead, to which her face twists into deep concern, “You’re rather hot.”

You chuckle, “So are you.”

She appears to be unamused by that statement, “Rose, I believe you are falling ill.” She takes your arm and lifts it around her shoulder. She wraps her other arm around your waist and stands, forcing you up with her. Your legs wobble underneath you.

She is holding up most of your weight as she brings you to the bathroom. She puts down the lid of the toilet and sits you back down. She turns her back to you in order to start filling the tub. When she comes back to you, she is helping you strip out of your still damp clothing.

The next few moments are a blur as you fade in and out of lucidity. You can feel it as the cloth is pried from your skin and you are lifted once again. You can tell she is instructing you to lift your legs, and you do. As your toes touch the water, you curl back. It’s freezing.

You shake your head lazily. She pets your head, mumbling how it’s okay. It’s just water and it’ll be good for you. You know she’s right, yet you don;t believe her. The water is so cold that it is near ice. She won’t let you leave though. With a mental sigh, you lower yourself into the water. The chill it sends through you in near painful.

“How does it feel?” She inquires.

You roll your head back to lean on the wall behind you, “Not all too pleasant, but you know best.”

You two leave it at that for now, as you keep drifting in and out of consciousness as you sit in the water. She stays by your side the entire time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I just needed Rose to get sick. *jumps through hoops* Done.


	10. In Sickness and in Health

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose is sick and Kanaya has to take care of her.

You place the bowl on the nightstand next to her. She is fast asleep and so far under you doubt you could jostle her awake. You should have been more forceful with convincing her to take care of herself. Perhaps if you had convinced her to bathe sooner, she would not be like this now. You never thought she would get so ill. She swore it was nothing- just a cold or the flu or something, but you worry.

She is covered in her own sweat and it breaks part of your heart to see her so vulnerable. Your relationship is not based solely on pity, as it would normally be for your species, but you can feel the emotion swelling inside of you.

You sit on the edge of the bed and brush her hair away from her forehead. She doesn’t react; not even a twitch of the eyes. You grab the cloth sitting inside the bowl and ring it until it is merely damp. You fold it into a sizable rectangle and place it against her now revealed skin. She still does not rustle.

A sigh of worry escapes your mouth. You have so many things to do and cannot stay with her all day. It should be fine to leave for a few minutes to take care of your other duties. It won’t take too long. Just bits of cleaning to make sure nothing in the house upsets her illness and telling your friends you will be unreachable for most of the day while you take care of her.

You stand and look down at her one last time. She is still unmoving. She will likely still be asleep when you return. You will be back soon, you tell yourself. It’s taking quite a lot to convince yourself that you may leave her side. You eventually do, after about ten more minutes of thinking to yourself.

When you return, something seems off. The cloth that was of her forehead has fallen onto the floor. You bend down to pick it up. As you stand back up, you notice a notepad and pen on the nightstand. Next to it, a piece of paper has been torn away. The drawer is ajar, which tells you where they came from.

You do not need to question who took them out. The only person that could have is lying unconscious, or semiconscious, on the bed. You are disappointed that she would move around in her condition. She can barely stay awake. She should not be straining herself. Regardless of your feelings, you pick up the note.

The writing is not as elegant as it would be under normal circumstances. Still, you can make it out well enough. She must have had to concentrate fairly hard to make this semi-legible. You do not like that she went to such measures, but you will not dishonor her efforts by ignoring it.

You bring the note to eye level and begin reading: “I am fine. Stop fussing. You’re making me worry. Remember to take care of yourself.” Under the words, she drew a small heart. It warms your heart. Even though she is the one who is ill, she is thinking of you too. 

You fold the note and hold it gently so as not to ruin it. You consider staying with her to make sure you're there the next time she wakes up, but you catch glimpse of another note that was beneath the first. 

You pick it up: “P.S. May I have soup?”

The note makes you chuckle quietly. So showing concern for you was more important than her nutrition. You would reverse those priorities, but she is sick and you will give her some leeway for foolishness. 

You grab the bowl of water and the cloth. You need to change them anyway. Before that, however, you need to make a bowl of soup for your sick matesprit. Something that can be served a little cooler so it does not burn her tongue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look. Two chapters are connected. They grow up so fast. *cries single tear of joy* Also, I didn't realize this was on chapter 10 already. Hmm... I sure can write a lot of fluff if I feel like it.


	11. Awkward Conversations that Still Need to be Had

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear, this is still SFW.

“Do trolls go into heat?” As soon as the question leaves your mouth, Kanaya stares at you with concern spread across her face.

“Is there a particular reason why you are asking this?” You do not miss it as she stumbles over the sidewalk crack, though you pretend you do not notice.

“Eridan has been more direct,” for lack of a better word, “with his black flirtations as of late. I was wondering if these are derived from some sort of extrinsic motivation or if they are his usual breed of desperation.”

The laugh that leaves her mouth fills you with a fuzzy warmth that surpasses the light of the sun, “Is that so?” The concern she once had leaves her eyes as she turns her sight forward again, “You really do attract quite a few suitors looking for a place in the caliginous region of your heart.”

“You’re changing the topic, Kanaya.”

“Am I?” The tone of her voice tells you she is perfectly aware of what she was doing, but does not seem to care, “I forgot what the original question was. I apologize.” She’s lying. She remembers what the original prompt was and is trying to stay away from it. 

“That is perfectly alright. I quite nearly forgot about it as well.” You decide to play along with her game, “I believe I was inquiring as to whether or not trolls went into heat.”

The look on her face tells you she does not want to answer the question. Considering how long the two of you have been together, you would assume it would come up sooner or later; probably sooner than this, at least.

She swallows the very visible lump in her throat and speeds up the pace of her walking. This is supposed to be a leisurely stroll, but if she wishes to turn it into a brisk jog, you can follow suit. Now, you are curious as to what she is hiding.

You speed up to join her side once more, “If you do not want to answer it is perfectly alright. I will ask one of the others.”

Her skin switches to its glowing state sooner than you can blink. She must be indescribably embarrassed to let herself slip back so easily. Not that you mind. You like it when she glows. You would dare to argue that is makes her even more endearing than usual.

“No. That is fine. I would rather you ask me than one of the others. I mean, we are going out, we should be able to answer any questions that arise.” The glow of her skin brightens ever so slightly, though it is hard to notice when she’s wrapped in the morning light.

It looks as if she has to gather herself before answering, “The simplest way to answer your question is to say yes, but not quite. I believe it would be more accurate to compare it to a mating season than going into heat. Though, I suppose those events can happen simultaneously and… I really do not feel comfortable answering these questions at the moment.”

You twist your face into befuddlement, “Is it really something that drastic?”

She shakes her head, “Of course not. However, we are in public and I do not exactly believe that this conversation is one that everyone needs to hear.” You realize she is right. Perhaps it would have been more appropriate to leave this for a later time.

You do not let her off the hook, however. This is something the two of you need to discuss, especially if you really are attracting so many others looking to have you as a kismesis. This is a discussion that needs to be had, if only so you understand better for future reference.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A discussion only a human-troll pair would need to have.


	12. Annual Celebration of Birth

You drop your head into your hands out of embarrassment. It encircles you and runs through the jade of your veins. This is most certainly the strangest form of affection you have ever encountered and to this day you are unsure why humans do it.

The singing is mostly off-key, with the few decent voices somehow making the terrible ones even worse. Though, you admit that, out of all the humans, you never expected Dirk to have to been gifted with the most impressive singing voice. Now you see where Rose got her own from.

As they begin to end the ritualistic chant, you sigh in silent relief.

“-Kanaya! Happy birthday to you!” The last few lines ring out loudly as the human members of the party conclude their bizarre tradition. Those in attendance that are of your own species understand the tradition as well as you do; that is to say, very little.

Those who just completed their song start laughing, with the exception of Dirk and Dave, both of whom still insist on hiding behind irony. You are perfectly capable of seeing they are as joyful as the others, however.

Of course, the happiest of the human bunch is Rose, without a doubt. You know how much she enjoys sharing different aspects of each of your cultures. You enjoy it as well. Back on Alternia, a celebration of your wriggling day would never have occurred. There is no reason for it to have. You simply would have gotten older and that would be it.

Rose places her hand on your shoulder and squeezes lightly. She bends down and places a gentle kiss against your cheek. That small act seems to gather more attention than the previous singing.

She laughs softly into your ear, “I think it may be time to bring out the cake. Don’t you?”

You shift your eyes towards her and nod, “I do believe a few of the guests may be getting restless. It may be prudent to give them something to eat.”

She gives you the smallest of winks before leaving to locate wherever she left the cake. You do adore her. She has told you before that on this day, you are the most important person, but you must disagree. If not for her, this day would be just another instead of a celebration. So, for you at least, this day is more about what she has given you than about you. And she has given much more than you could ever desire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short, because I am working on some other stuff. This just popped into my head and I had to roll with it.


End file.
